“What’s next?”

Jordan nearly jolted out of her skin. “Huh?”

Wide eyes looked up at him. “I’m done with my ’rithmetic.” Austin pushed a piece of paper at her. “Are you okay?”

Warmth flooded her cheeks when she realized the kid had caught her staring into space. “I’m fine. Do you want to continue?”

“Can I go get a drink of water first?”

“Go ahead.”

He slid off his seat and went inside the house. Lily had suggested they set up a table outside and do their lessons there as it was another gorgeous spring day. Not that she noticed.

She let out a breath and closed her eyes. No wait, don’t do that. What happened at the pond replayed in her head like a movie trailer stuck on repeat. But, even in the bright morning sun, her thoughts drifted to the events of yesterday. With a pained groan, she buried her face in her crossed arms over the table.

What the hell was she thinking, having sex with Jackson? This was a total disaster. He couldn’t stand her and she abhorred his guts. Maybe that’s why the whole thing was so hot. They always said hate sex was the best.

It wasn’t even like Jackson was her type. Sure, she’d been surrounded by hot, built shifters all her life, but she always went for the skinny, hipster intellectual types. Her last hookup was with a PhD candidate from Stanford. Aside from not being the academic type, Jackson’s body was pure sex—broad shoulders, bulging pecs, a defined eight-pack that she regretted not being able to bite and lick.

And that cock. She was still sore down there and she could have sworn Lily was looking at her funny when she winced as she sat down at the table last night. Still, her body was craving to have him inside her again.

It was a good thing Jackson hadn’t shown up for dinner. Lily had told them he was stuck doing some work on the far side of the ranch. Good. Liz looked extremely disappointed, but she used the time to kiss up to Lily instead. Why no one else could see how fake she was, Jordan didn’t know. And, if it wasn’t obvious before, it was pretty evident now: Liz had set her sights on becoming Lupa of the Shenandoah clan.

Well, she was welcome to Jackson. Her wolf gnashed its fangs at her, but she told it to shut the hell up.

“Jordan, are you okay?”

She whipped her head up. “Yeah, kid, I’m great.” She forced a smile on her face. “Just great. What’s that?”

He carried in a tray with two glasses and a plate piled high with what smelled like oatmeal raisin cookies. “Grams got these out of the oven. She said we should have some while they were warm.” The smell of the cookies was delightful and her stomach gurgled in hunger.

“Oh my God, gimme, gimme.” The tray had barely landed on the table before she grabbed two of the cookies and stuffed them in her mouth. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this hungry. And to think, she didn’t even like oatmeal raisin cookies.

Maybe she was eating her feelings. She also ate twice as much as she usually did last night, secretly telling herself she wanted to eat so much there wouldn’t be any left for Jackson. Besides, Lily’s roast beef had been amazeballs.

“You sure can eat,” Austin said as he bit into his cookie. “For a girl, I mean.”

“Well, when you start shifting in a couple of years, you’ll eat like this.” She chomped into a third cookie and then washed it down with a gulp of milk. “I bet you’ll eat even more than me.”

“When did you first shift?” he asked.

“Hmm …” She polished off the cookie and then brushed the sticky crumbs from her hands. “It happened one night while I was in bed. I was fourteen.” For their kind, the shift usually came around puberty. “My dad was actually away on clan business, but Mom was there with me the entire night. I clawed her good a couple of times, but she never gave up. By morning, I was back to my human form.” The first shift was problematic because, while shifting into wolf form just came naturally, going back to human was more difficult.

“What’s she like?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“Your mom.”

“I dunno. Like a mom, I guess.” She only realized how insensitive her words were when she saw the stricken look on his face. “Jeez. Sorry, kiddo, I didn’t mean to say that.”

He shrugged and grabbed another cookie. “It’s okay. I never knew my ma.”

She never really thought to ask about Austin’s mom. Somehow, the thought of Jackson being married to someone else didn’t sit well with her. “Is she … gone?”

He took a bite of the cookie and swallowed it down. “She left us when I was a baby.”

That came out of left field. She had no idea what to say. “I’m sure she had her reasons.”

“It’s because I’m no good.” Austin’s expression was somber, and he looked down at the half-eaten cookie on the table.

“What?” Pure outrage coursed through her. “That’s not true.”

“That’s what Peter Maycock said,” Austin said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. “That I was no good, that’s why I got no ma. She didn’t want me.”

She clenched her fists under the table. “Is that why you fought him?”

He didn’t respond, but his silence said it all.

Jordan took a deep, calming breath. She hated to think it, but that Maycock kid deserved the beating he got. “Austin, listen to me.” Doleful green eyes stared up at her. “Your mom didn’t leave because of you. You were a baby. She left because she was a shitty person. And you’re a good kid, Austin. Inside you, there’s a good kid, but he can’t get out because you keep him locked up.”

He sniffed. “You don’t know that.”

“I do, Austin. Believe me, I do.” It was hard to explain, but from what she’d seen, Austin really did want to be good. He was so attentive during their sessions, and while he wasn’t going to be a genius, he was willing to learn and absorbed all their lessons.

“Everything okay in here?” Lily was standing in the doorway, hands on her hips. “Enjoying the cookies?”

“They’re delicious.” She beamed a smile at Austin. “Right?”

The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile that reached his eyes. “Right.”

As the rest of their lessons continued, Jordan tried to not let Austin’s words bother her. But she couldn’t help it. It gnawed at her, knowing that Austin felt that way. In a way, it was all making sense now. Added to the fact that Jackson had his plate full, it couldn’t have been easy for him growing up. She was sure Lily was a good grandmother, too, but there was only so much she could do, not to mention she was basically running the clan and the ranch alongside Jackson.

Austin was reading aloud from a short passage in his English book when the sound of galloping hooves made him stop. As the thunderous din came closer, he looked over her shoulder. When he made a face, she turned around.

It was Jackson and Liz, both of them on horseback. They rode across the field, expertly guiding their horses around, hopping over fallen logs and weaving around various obstacles. The other retreaters and a few of the ranch hands were there, cheering them on.

Jordan’s nostrils flared. It was like some kind of cowboy western romance movie—Jackson looking dashing in his flannel shirt, boots, and Stetson hat, while Liz’s blonde mane blew in the wind like a golden flag. She wanted to gag.

The horses slowed down to a slow trot until they stopped not far from the house. Jackson got down first, then helped Liz dismount. She then turned to Jackson and snaked her hands around his neck to bring him down for a hug.

Jordan’s inner wolf raged. For once, she didn’t have the will to rein it in, but she couldn’t turn away despite the emotions whirling inside her. When Jackson lifted his head, their gazes crashed.

“Why don’t we take a recess?” Jordan closed the workbook. “Then we’ll do some spelling, okay?”

“All right. Can I go see the new cowshed? Garland said they finished ’em up.”

“Sure. But come back in half an hour, okay?”

“Yippee!” Austin pushed himself off the chair and ran toward the direction of the new building set up in the distance. She shook her head. It was probably going to be more than thirty minutes, but she supposed she could give him a break. Besides, she could use a long break herself, maybe to stretch her legs.

She hopped down the porch and jogged over toward the barn, struggling to control the feelings inside her. I hate that prick. Why the hell did she have sex with him in the first place? It was obvious Liz was his perfect match. It was Liz he was after. Maybe she’d been playing hard to get, withholding herself until Jackson made a firm commitment.

And here comes horny little Jordan. Willing and able. She was an idiot. I’m never going to sleep with him again.

She slammed the door of the barn open, then marched inside. It was musty, and the dust or the mold would probably drive her sinuses crazy, but she didn’t care. Maybe she could camp out here until, oh, maybe the end of the week.

“What are you doin’ here?”

She halted. Something about that voice made her shiver. Her wolf raised its hackles, and she turned around slowly.

The man—a Lycan, for sure—was standing there. She couldn’t see his features as the light streaming in from the outside cast a shadow over his face. But she could see the outline of his body. He was tall and burly, and his biceps were so large his arms stuck out away from his body. When she didn’t answer, he advanced toward her.

Alarm bells rang in her head. There was something not quite right about this man. “Well? What are you—”

“Samuel.”

Jackson! Relief swept over her at the sound of his voice. Even her wolf seemed less agitated, but still not at ease with the presence of the other man.

The large man turned around. “Alpha.”

“What are you doing in here? Aren’t you supposed to be working on the east ridge?”

“The truck broke down. I volunteered to walk back. Then,” Samuel cocked his head toward Jordan, “I saw her sneakin’ around.”

Jackson craned his neck. “You saw—” His green eyes flashed and glowed—a sure sign that his wolf was at the surface—when his eyes met hers. His nostrils flared. “Leave.” His tone turned deadly, and when Jordan took a tentative step, he growled. “Not you.” He swung his gaze back to Samuel. “Samuel, go back to work.”

He grunted. “Yes, Alpha.” Sidestepping Jackson, he lumbered out of the barn, his steps heavy as they echoed across the empty space.

Jordan couldn’t move, her eyes following Samuel until he disappeared out the door. When he was gone, she let out the breath she’d been holding.

“Jordan.” Jackson was suddenly beside her, his hands wrapping around her forearms. “Did he touch you? Say anything to you?”

“Huh? I—” She tried to wiggle away from him, but it only made his grip her tighter. “No! I mean, I just got here and then he showed up.”

The glow from his eyes began to ebb away. “If he ever comes near you again, you tell me, okay? Promise me.” He sounded serious.

“What?” She used her Lycan strength to free herself from his grasp, but when she tried to move away from him, he backed her up toward the wall. “What the hell, Jackson?”

“Promise me.”

“He’s your employee,” she said. “If you don’t want him near anyone, then just fire him.”

“Fucking hell.” He slammed his palms behind her, trapping her. “You drive me crazy, you know?”

“You’re the one who’s acting batshit insane, so don’t blame me,” she huffed. “Are you going to make Liz promise you too?” Oh, shit. She shouldn’t have said that. But it was too late.

His expression shifted. “Why? Are you jealous?”

“You’re delusional, Jackson.”

“I thought you said I was batshit insane?”

“Yeah, that too.” She braced herself against the wall. Oh God, the way he was looking at her now was making her knees weak. She knew what he was thinking. What he wanted. Because she wanted it too, and her core clenched with need.

He leaned down and nuzzled at her neck. “You smell incredible, you know that? Something I never smelled before, but it’s like I know it. And,” he licked at her pulse, making her heart speed up, “I can smell your pussy getting wet. You want me. You want my cock inside you. Fucking you.”

The filthy words should have turned her off, but coming from Jackson, it was driving her batshit. “We can’t. Jackson.”

His teeth grazing at her skin made her moan and when her knees wobbled, he pushed her up and pinned her with his body, his erection poking at her stomach through his jeans. Of course he was already hard. “Why not?”

“Because … uh … it’s dirty in here.”

“I know.”

The timbre of his voice made her lose the last of her inhibitions. Oh, fuck it. She reached up to grab at his neck, then brought his head down to smash his lips to hers. Damn his sexy mouth. He kissed her hard, their teeth and lips gnashing at each other.

Her entire body was on fire, and the temperature in the barn had risen a hundred degrees. She tugged at his jeans, unbuttoning the fly so she could feel him. His hard cock twitched in her hands when she reached in to take it out of his briefs and grip him.

He cursed against her lips, and for a moment she thought he was going to change his mind. But, instead, he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of her leggings and panties, then pulled them down to her thighs. He broke their kiss and then got on his knees.

“Jackson,” she whispered urgently.

Leaning forward, he pressed his mouth to her slick pussy lips, and she had to stifle a cry when he made contact. She couldn’t help herself. She looked down at him. Green eyes blazed with lust as he looked up at her, never breaking eye contact as he continued to lick and tease her with his mouth and tongue. When his lips found her clit, he sucked back hard, and she spiraled into a fast, hard orgasm that made her bite the back of her hand to stop herself from screaming out loud.

She had barely come down from her orgasm when she felt him tug her leggings and panties down. He slipped one shoe off and took her bottoms off one leg. His hands traced up the back of her legs and thighs, then gripped her ass and lifted her up.

“Jesus!” she moaned when he impaled her on his dick. Good thing she was already soaking wet as he slid in with one motion. She wrapped her legs around him, pressing her body as close to him as possible.

Jackson was jackhammering into her so hard, she was starting to see stars. It was incredible, the sensation of his body pinning her up against the wall and fucking into her. She would have scratches and possibly splinters all over her back, but she didn’t really care right now.

He changed his angle, and she bit down on his shoulders when his cock hit her just right. He grunted in pain—or maybe pleasure—and moved even faster. She sobbed against his shoulder as her body tensed, then shook as another powerful orgasm ripped through her. He pummeled faster into her, then let out a short, guttural cry before slowing down his rhythm.

Jordan opened her eyes, not even realizing she had them shut tight. Her blood was still pounding in her ears as Jackson unwrapped her legs from his waist and withdrew from her. It all felt unreal, and she felt herself slowly coming back to earth—figuratively and literally, when her feet landed on the ground.

He stepped back from her and tucked his softening cock back into his jeans. Not knowing what to do or say, she reached down and slipped her other foot back into her panties and leggings, as well as her shoe. She pulled them up slowly, not wanting to face him or the consequences of what they’d just done. If she was lucky, someone would suddenly call for him or interrupt and she could just walk away without ever having to face him again.

But she wasn’t lucky.

“Jordan,” he began. “I—”

“This isn’t going to work,” she said, interrupting him.

“I know,” he said in a quiet voice.

“I don’t know how to ride a horse.” Why she said that, she didn’t know.

“Excuse me?”

She sighed. This was not working the way she thought it would. “I mean, this is the last time. We can’t keep doing this.” And you obviously want Liz as your mate.

“You could be pregnant.”

There was a literal pregnant pause between them. “What? How?”

“See, it’s like this, Jordan,” he began. “When the sperm meets the egg—”

“Ha! I know what you’re saying. But there’s no way. I’m on birth control,” she said smugly. Did he think she was stupid or something? “I get my shot on a regular basis.”

His brows drew together. “You are?”

“Excuse me, I’m a modern woman, in charge of my own body. Besides, don’t you know that birth control regulates a woman’s cycle and can prevent uterine cancer and cysts?”

He threw his hands up. “Of course you would be.”

“And what exactly do you mean by that?”

“I mean,” he pointed a finger at her, “only you, Jordan. Only you would be worried about stuff like that. We’re Lycans.”

“So?” She swiped his hand away. “You do know that Lycans aren’t immune to certain diseases, right? No one knows why or how it works. We’re faster and stronger that humans, plus we can heal injuries, but we still age and get things like cancer—”

“I know that! I mean … you.” He let out a frustrated sound. “Never mind.”

“You should walk out first,” she said. “I’ll wait a few minutes or walk out the back.”

“Right.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and pivoted away from her, then walked out toward the entrance. She curled her fingers into her palms. It took lot of effort not to walk after him.

“Shit.” She kicked at the wall. How could she let that happen, again? This was crazy. It was her inner wolf, making all her horny. Yeah, that was it. “I’m gonna hose you down with cold water next time,” she threatened. But the little bitch only laughed at her.